Romans chapter 12 begins the instruction on the practical outworking of our Christian lives. We need to remember that we can't just go to the practical "list" of instructions without having a revelation of the foundation laid in the first 11 Chapters of Romans. That foundation is Jesus and the Gospel and the fact that we are saved by His grace through faith! After we understand this then we take the practical and live out these things because we get to! We're so grateful for what He's done that we want to live for Him!

Jesus is the only way! And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved! In our passage in Romans, Paul asks how people will call on the name of Jesus unless they believe and how will they hear to believe unless someone is sent to tell them? Friends, we have been "sent" - there are people on the other side of our obedience!

Our Romans passage speaks to the suffering we share with Christ as well as the "groaning" of all creation under the curse of sin. But our hope and what will be is wonderful and glorious! We are not hopeless but we wait with eager expectation with the confident hope of our future with HIM!